Anti-LGBT pop psychologist Dr. Keith Ablow has a long track
record of making a fool of himself by providing unqualified
and bigoted commentary on a wide range of topics, including gender and
sexuality. This weekend, he extended that record a bit
further.

On Sunday’s edition of Fox & Friends, Ablow was
invited to discuss a new Men’s Healthstudy, which found that
many men have adapted to the recession by “shifting their focus to family,
social life, emotional well-being and physical appearance and health.”
According to Ablow, the study itself represents
yet another “attack on masculinity” by congratulating men for engaging in unmanly
behavior – like shopping, cleaning, and “taking care of babies”:

ABLOW: There’s an agenda here.
They’re saying 'no, things are better' – the editors go on to say – 'because men are shopping just as much as their
wives and they’re taking care of babies just as much and cleaning the house
just as much. It shows how sensitive we are.'
Guess what, I’ve had it up to here with this attack on masculinity.

CLAYTON MORRIS (host): Yes.

ABLOW:Men were sensitive when they were fighting and dying on front lines for
their countries. We were sensitive when we were the primary breadwinners for
our families because we wanted our kids to eat. That’s called being
sensitive. [...]

ABLOW: There’s such a rush to say 'boy, anything masculine, that’s bad.' And talk about a magazine that has the wrong
name, Men’s Health. Look, why
couldn’t they look at the opposite and say 'listen,
during the recession it’s going to be doubly important to get to the gym, make
yourself strong, be the head of your household.'
What’s wrong with that? [emphasis added]

As usual, Ablow’s analysis is void of any reference to
psychiatric or professional research on the issue. Instead, it appears that his
comments on the proper roles of men and women are based solely on his own
sexist and stereotypical worldview. In April, for example, he warned that abandoning traditional gender roles would
result in violence between women, underage sex, men who “primp and preen,” and
soldiers who no longer want to fight for their country.

Moreover, Ablow’s understanding of how men and women should
behave deeply informs his hostile attitude toward LGBT people. Last April,
Ablow attacked a J. Crew ad which depicted a mother painting her son’s toenails
pink, calling it an “attack on masculinity.” Later, he asserted that Chaz Bono’s
appearance on national television could convince “tomboys”
to undergo gender reassignment surgery. And on multipleoccasions,
Ablow has expressed concern that allowing lesbians to raise boys could cause
the boys to identify as a female.

When Dr. Ablow crusades to protect “masculinity” from what
he sees as an attack, it’s not just women who suffer – it’s anyone who doesn’t
fit into his narrow view of how men and women are supposed to act.